Attire
by Anti Arukasa
Summary: Since when was it that you had to wear princely attire to be a prince? -YohxHao, oneshot of ramble now updated to perhaps more oneshots of ramble-
1. Favor

"I don't really understand what the problem is."

"Allow me to reiterate that you two are the_ princes_ of the kingdom."

"What does that have to do with Hao wearing a dress?"

"…Yoh, do you understand that a prince cannot masquerade as a princess? It's in… it's just not right."

"Well, I don't see anything wrong with it. He's not hurting anyone."

The Queen sighed, rubbing at her forehead with her fingertips. Everything about these two was so frustrating. Peeking in between her fingers, she took in the skinny boy before her, with his arms crossed over his chest and dark eyes looking up to her with distaste, past heavy bangs formed by his silver hairband. He was wearing the appropriate attire. The vest, shirt, tights held up by belt, tucked into thigh-held boots, thick gloves on his hands, even wearing the sword of his mentor's at his hip.

A soft groan filtered through the Queen's lips, knowing that her youngest son was expecting an answer. He wouldn't leave without getting one. Not on manners concerning his twin.

Removing her hands, Queen Keiko tried again with a less-than-patient gesture of them, "It's improper for a prince to dress as a princess, and vice versa. It's in poor taste. It has a bad reflection on our family, thus putting our kingdom as a whole in undesirable light." Something in her hoped, vainly, that Yoh would understand, but with his disagreeing shake of his head, it vanished behind a veil of irritation.

"I just don't see how a guy wearing a dress is going to be a problem for anyone." From the prince's side, meeting his mother at just-below eye level, he simply could no comprehend the concept. "It's just clothing. You wear dresses. People in the city wear dresses, and not every single one is a woman. What's the issue? I might as well wear a dress too-" Yoh waved a hand around with a frown, "-just to prove a point."

"Dear, I don't think-"

"Or we could just walk around naked all the time and save all the trouble-"

"**YOH**."

The prince hid a smile behind a glove, seeing the faint haze of pink on the Queen's pale face, the agitation now showing on her face. Perhaps he should have been a bit more respectful. But it was too late to take it back now. …not that he would.

Giving a long-suffering sigh, Queen Keiko ran a hand through her black hair and rubbed at her temples. It simply wasn't a day to talk to either son. "…we can discuss this at another time. The Tao are visiting from the borders to discuss business with your father and me. …" She turned her head, just enough, to give a half-hearted glare at the prince, who's smile fell at such a serious expression. "Go tell Hao to put on appropriate attire for dinner, at LEAST."

Yoh frowned, moving to make another argument. "But-"

"**_NOW!_**"

A startled squeak at the sudden ferocity that issued from her lips, he jumped in his spot and turned tail, quickly retreating through the hallways of the castle with the rebounding of "**_PRINCELY ATTIRE_**" following him close behind. By the time his feet had slowed, and his breath eased from pants, the hall was silent. But the warning that was seeped deep in the demand of his mother remained.

"…I just don't get it." A long sigh, much like his mother's, swept the air as the prince walked at a lackluster pace to his brother's room. …well, technically, it was their room. But certainly, it was Hao's domain rather than Yoh's. This proved true the moment Yoh pushed open the heavy oak door to enter, as a sudden sight of red engulfed his view and covered his head, in the form of.. a dress. Figured. He was trying to find a good one to wear. "Hao-"

"No. Not this shade."

Yoh tugged the red mass off his head, only to be drenched in another, this one of silk violet. "Hao, stop-"

"Not this one." Dark green velvet.

"Hao-!"

"Nope." Rose pink.

"HAO!"

The prince(ss) blinked, looking at himself in the mirror, a dark blue gown held to his slender chest. For a moment, he just stared, gazing at his own reflection, taking in the look of his widened eyes and pouting lips, set on a slender, tan face framed by sleek, black hair. …yes, he WAS lovely, wasn't he? Then a gaze to the side of the mirror, where his dear twin was fuming, picking up the dresses that had been tossed onto him and folding them over his arm with tender care.

A smile, relaxed by the appearance of the prince, the prince(ss) turned to face him, the under dress hugging to the slim figure in all the right ways. "Ah, otouto. Perfect timing." Turning on his foot, the gown held to his chest, Hao pursed his lips in deep thought. "I can't find the right dress to wear tonight." Setting the dresses out on the large bed fit for a King, smoothing out the crimson covers, Yoh raised an eyebrow. "You already knew?"

A flippant "I know everything" was returned, and it became business as usual. "Help me find a good color."

And… here was what Yoh didn't want to delve into. But… PRINCELY ATTIRE still echoed deep into his ears, rattling his skull. With a soft breath, the prince stood straight and walked closer to the prince(ss), vouching to lean against the post of the bed. "That's what I need to talk to you about, aniki. …tonight, could you please… just this once-"

"No."

A frown fell on Yoh's face. "Aniki, please. Do you know what'll happen if you don't wear something like a guy tonight?" At the mirror, having discarded the dress in favor of a dull, burnt umber one, Hao turned his nose up at the question. "Nothing. I wear so-called 'prince garb' when I command the battalions, don't I? When we go out on official business beyond the kingdom? I refuse to wear such things in my own castle."

"Technically-"

"Don't get into technicalities, Yoh, I've having enough issues as it is."

Crossing his arms, a soft, desperate sound came from the younger's mouth. "But you look good in everything, aniki. Why is this so important?" Really, why was it? A slow smirk spread over the older's face, and he spoke with a smug expression, eyes shifted to see the reaction he would get in his brother's reflection. "Because. Who comes with the Tao every time they visit, hmm? If I want to look good for Ren..~"

Oh, the sudden flush of red on Yoh's face was priceless! The sputter, the sudden… indignant babble that soon followed after, and how rigid he became, hands now in fists at his side. Hao couldn't help but grin. "Y-Y…You're dressing up to look good for REN?!" An angry shout lodged in the younger's throat, he threw his arms into the air, stomping a foot on the carpeted floor. "Why would you want to look good for REN?! What's so special about him?!"

He had to grit his teeth at the irritation, had to look away for fear he could blow up at the prince(ss). Hao's anger would be so much more than his own, and far more destructive. …but he just couldn't understand… Why Ren? So stotic and unchanging, prideful… Sure, maybe he looked decent. But why would Hao-

"Otouto, you're too cute~"

How the prince(ss) had managed to sneak up and wrap strong arms around him, he could never know. But all that mattered was the fact that lips were pressed against his, murmuring and teasing in a voice like silk, "You know I already have my suitor." He tried to remain stern, upset, but a hand entangling in his hair and the presence of a tongue dancing on his lower lip simply.. drained all the anger, all the concern, away. A soft breath, exasperation, and Yoh's arms wrapped around Hao, dragging him closer and allowing the older to do as he pleased, allowing him to explore what he could with a soft hum of pleasure.

For the moment, it was just the two of them. Lost and found and one just with this simple, fairly innocent act. By the time they had to return to reality for air, the prince was back fretting about his mother's warning. "So…" One hand, now free of the glove when he realized that holding to silk was much harder with it on than off, reached up to twirl into the dark hair, spinning it around his finger absently. "I can't get you to change your mind…?"

Hao smirked, sticking his well-used tongue out at the younger. "No."

Desperate now, Yoh bit his bruised lip, looking to the ground and glancing for anything he could use. "…not even… …What if I did a favor?" …hearing an interested hum from the older brought his gaze back up, looking at his brother's thoughtful expression. "…what _kind_ of favor?"

Yoh's eyes lit up. Finally, he had found a loophole. "Any kind, any! Aniki's choice, so long as he wears guy stuff tonight." His smile began as wide, but… seeing how Hao produced a sly smirk brought the smile to a crashing halt.

"I'll take that favor, Yoh."

—

The banquet table was set, the Tao were seated, the King and Queen sitting before them at the long table, both looking apprehensive as neither twin showed up for dinner quite yet. The main course was on its way, the first course set before all at the table. They could not eat without the two.

"Where are they…?" Queen Keiko fiddled with her hands under the table, twisting her napkin in her slender hands. Her husband, King Mikihisa, shook his head with a soft sigh. "They'll be here momentarily, I'm sure. No doubt Hao has planned another grand entrance for our viewing pleasure." After all, last time, the prince(ss) had strode in the last time, before the Lady of Peace, spinning a staff cloaked in fire, making sure to sweep just under her chin before snuffing the flames out.

"He better not." The Queen chewed at her lip, noticing how… calm the Tao family was to wait. It made her uncomfortable. Turning to her husband, finally, she spoke, quickly, "You don't suppose they're hurt in some ma-"

"Announcing Prince Hao and Yoh!"

Oh, the relief on the Queen's poor face, her hand flying to her chest as she tried to calm herself. The King merely looked towards the opening doors with his face set in exasperation, ready to prepare himself for whatever speech he would have to give for Hao's behavior.

…neither were quite prepared for what they saw. There was Hao, walking forward with his brother's hand in his, standing in princely attire that was, no doubt, Yoh's. Fitting him perfectly, he strode forward with a smirk on his face, boots thumping on the stone floor, the cape Yoh wore for outings fastened around his neck, his sword strapped to his waist. Whereas Yoh worn it like an casual outfit, Hao wore it like a king.

…then there was the fact that Yoh, his face red and eyes downcast, was clad in a gown of soft orange, accented with black and red veils, his feet creating soft clicks as he walked forth in black heels, and hair held back but a dark rose.

The Queen's face went dark red with shame. The King seemed trapped between wanting to shout and wanting to burst into laughter. Most of the Tao family seemed.. genuinely shocked, the Emporer of the clan looking like he had just been doused in cold water, the Empress holding a hand to her mouth with widened eyes, the oldest sibling mimicking her mother , but doing so to hide a wide smile.

As for the youngest Tao, Ren, he merely hide a smirk, choosing to keep his eyes closed and head directed at the table.

He'd seen it all before.


	2. Argue

It had been perhaps a week since the dress fiasco in front of the Tao family. Sure, everyone let it go. The Queen had a long talk with her sons about placing bets (as they both called it) right before a formal and important dinner, but even she threw the notion of punishment aside, knowing full well things would just get worse at the next if she tried to wrangle Hao in. Everyone forgot about it and just owed it to the usual attitude of the elder prince(ss). Life went on just as semi-smoothly as it had before.

…well, to an extent.

Now, every chance that he got, the Prince(ss) would flaunt the favor his otouto had paid him before him, making sure to do several twirls around him while wearing the most elegant of gowns. HE would wear the most damnable of smirks on that pretty face, seeing how the Prince would shrink in the slightest under his cape, or hide behind his bangs at every mention of the orange gown he had been put into.

"Doesn't this look nice and comfortable, Yoh?" Hao would purr as he sailed through the hallways, practically leaping off the walls and launching himself from the doorways as they headed down the hallways of the castle. While… Yoh had done everything he could to try and shake the Prince(ss) off his trail when he went through the homestead, he… always seemed to know. And, as Hao would say, he would never miss such an opportunity to tease the younger. Like now, when Yoh was headed back to their room for a decent nap he ingrained into in his daily routine.

"Doesn't it just flow in the wind and dance right above the ground? Not nearly as cumbersome as wearing pants~"

"Please stop it, Hao. You've been going on like this for days now and I don't want to hear any more about it."

There was a desperate whine in the Prince's voice, and he made it clear as he flung open the door to their room, stomping it and moving to flop headlong onto the bed, burrowing his head deep under the satin-coated pillows. Hao, of course, would come sailing inside as if guided by wind, and shut the door respectfully with an innocent smile, his cheery voice rebounding and seeing to echo upwards into the high ceiling.

"I can't imagine why not!" A few more steps, a few more bounces, and the Prince(ss) leaped onto the bed himself, somehow managing between the disrupting bounce to perch himself on the edge, legs crossed, hands resting on his raised knee, and eyes shining at the sight of his brother. …who was now jostled from his place, glaring at Hao from behind mussed bangs and a crumpled pillow. No. Yoh was not in the mood today, which made it all the more entertaining for the elder.

"You seemed to enjoy the dress when you put it on!" That innocent smile remained on the slim face, but the glitter in the eyes made the Prince flush a dark red. "And you didn't object to… role reversal that night, either… …You seemed to rather like that too-" A pillow was smacked into his face, interrupting him mid-thought. With a sputter, Hao pulled the satiny thing away, met with a grinning, red-faced Yoh who was now upright on the bed, who looked much too smug for his own good at his top-notch aim.

"Yeah, I did. But I'm not going around everywhere saying that ANIKI-" Yoh stressed this on his tongue with an amused snort, seeing Hao tense in the slightest. "-enjoyed wearing my clothes for a day. You seemed to like being in charge, weighed down with all the extra stuff.." He could feel his face becoming more and more red, but could see that the elder's was doing the same. It was enough to bring a surge of pride to his chest.

More ammo.

"You walked down that hall like you were proud of yourself! You refused to leave the cape and sword behind! You made sure the gloves were buckles and even told me that I needed to do it more often!"

Hao's chest swelled with indignation, his eyes glinting just as much as his brother's, and he found himself mimicking his brother's position on the bed, knees holding him up and hand gesturing accusingly at the other, the other in a tight fist and pressed on his hip.

Backfire.

"You asked how to wear the sash properly on the back! You tried to adjust the veils because they 'overlapped too much'! You got upset when you popped a seam on the edge because it began to fray!"

"You didn't want the cape to drag the floor and get ruined!"

"You walked in those shoes damn near perfectly!"

"You looked even better wearing a men's outfit!"

"You looked even better wearing a woman's!"

Finally, Yoh gritted his teeth, jumping forward and pushing Hao to the mattress, holding both wrists down and straddling the thin waist, trapping him underneath. Hao, for a mere second, gave a surprised expression, but even that faded to a smirk. "Can't come up with a clever reply, otouto? Have to resort to physical methods to silence my razor wit?"

But no, Yoh had learned from Hao. Maybe it was a physical method. But pressing his breathless lips against Hao's yapping ones was so much less crude than what he suggested. Much like that night before, Hao tried to fight against the kiss, knowing exactly what his little brother was planning, but… Yoh could prove just as insistent as him.

He melted, throwing his arms around the neck of the Prince and keeping him close, tilting his head and opening his mouth, allowing him access. There was irritation still, in how Yoh took that opening with such vigor, how he tried to remain dominant against the usual leader of their dance, and yet… there was the characteristic tenderness, his fingers released from Hao's wrists now finding his, intertwining them and holding tight.

"Stubborn… ass…"

"Lazy… bastard…"

The insults were slipped past on bated breath, but each was spoken with a loving smile on a heated face, and sealed with another kiss.

It would be said that, in the end, Hao would agree with Yoh's original prospect that he had proposed to their mother. Maybe it would be best if everyone walked around naked, instead of wearing clothes that could keep them in one place. …to each other, they looked best without clothes anyway.

000000000

This one is shorter, but the next... I'm hoping to extend.


	3. Garden

"I don't suppose you've been holding well?"

"I'd like to think so, but..."

Ren's eyebrow rose slightly. "But?"

Yoh sighed, reaching up to run a hand through his short hair, rubbing at the slight itch as his scalp. "You know... how you appreciate something, and you... just can't... get it through to someone?" He gave a nervous stare to the child of the Emperor, slouched over and weak-kneed in appearance. It made the haughty Prince across from him smirk and raise his head just a bit higher. "I take it you're having issues with your big brother again?"

"Can you tell?" The taller Prince sighed and came to a fairly ungraceful sit, throwing his legs over the railing of the balcony and gripping to the iron bars, staring out to the open world before him. Ren's land was so expansive... With huge mountains jutting so tall from the earth, leaving a sea of fog below and an ocean of blue overhead, and the tiny indications of life just barely visible on the rock heads suggestion individual paradises, Heavens on earth...

It was terrifying, Yoh mused as he rested his forehead against the railing, but the terror was something stunningly lovely. You were atop the world itself.

He enjoyed coming to Ren's territory when his parents came to discuss politics. He had, since the first day, the first meeting between the Rulers of the Tall Lands when the long feud they waged against the Lower Lands ceased. They had arrived, as one clan, to stand before the Emperor's, his own close at hand. Elder, wife, two children. Facing their own clan behind the King, two elders, wife, two children.

They had been small then. Perhaps aged five years.

Within the first five minutes, the youngest child of the Emperor, the son, had leapt from his spot, swinging a large spear and shouting about challenges and worth and... Yoh didn't remember what exactly Ren had cried, since Hao had shoved him behind him and met the challenge with a wild smile. He did remember, though, before they could even begin a small-sized battle, he stepped in between the two with a decisive strike, knocking them apart.

From that point on, Ren had found colleagues, if not friends, in the twins. Yoh found Ren to be friend, Hao found Ren to be foe.

All of them found themselves in separate corners for the remainder of the meeting.

The relationship had stuck, all the same. Brothers in arms. Ren and Hao had, very heatedly, discussed tactics when leading armies to war. And Yoh was very good at calming the pointy-haired prince down when he was pestered by what he referred to as 'peasants', helping him work out issues with his people. Each was welcomed to the others domain with open arms.

Yoh found that Ren was a friend worth talking to about things like this. They even had this balcony to speak on, just between the two of them. The taller Prince felt he could trust the shorter with just about anything. Ren hadn't let him down yet.

"Hao wasn't happy about his clothes again."

"He never is." Ren snorted lightly at the thought of the older twin caring about anything other than throwing fits about his attire every time he appeared in the Tall Lands. He was always in a foul mood, wearing the attire of a 'real' prince. Ah, yes, Ren had known about the tendencies of the elder Prince in his own home, to waltz around in a dress and proclaim himself to be gorgeous to everyone. Apparently few of the subjects were inclined to disagree, and Ren wasn't quite sure if it was solely due to the fact that, yes, Hao did look very nice.

A shaman like Hao was not one you wanted to argue with.

Aside from when they went to other lands. It seemed that, from the way the Queen always appeared on edge as they walked through the front gate, tight-lipped and stiff as a board, with Hao trailing behind her, fuming viciously with his back slouched and arms over his iron-clad chest, this was one argument Hao would not win, ever. Every time they came, Hao would lose the argument, but not once had he stopped himself from producing a verbal tirade about it.

Surely, Ren thought, casting a glace over his shoulder at the door behind them, he was yelling in his room now, swinging his arms in the air and throwing the clothes his mother had so lovingly packed into a bag for him at the door and walls.

Yoh seemed to catch Ren's train of thought and nodded, looking glum. "...he thinks he looks bad in them. In the clothes. That's why he's mad."

A scoffing sound. "Well, I don't see what the big deal is. Clothing is clothing."

"That's right," Yoh nodded, but his saddened frown remained. "But not to Hao. ...I don't know why he's obsessed."

That wasn't entirely true... There had been the apprentice girl to their grandmother. A girl named Anna that they had been introduced when they were ten. Training to be an itako into the family, to wed the heir of the Asakura clan when it was decided at the coming-of-age, she had stared at the twins with disinterest and distaste. Hao, almost immediately, took a like-hate relationship with the girl. ...though, seeing Yoh's face go red and eyes downturn when their eyes met, it quickly became cold as ice.

Somewhere around that time, Hao began wearing dresses. The rule was still in place, but...

A final sigh shook the cold in the air around the taller Prince, and he drew his cape in around him. "...what do I do, Ren?"

"..." The shorter Prince seemed lost in thought, staring at the far-off mountains encased in fog. His fingers would occasionally tap on his bare arm, but other than that... there was silence. It dragged on for a few minutes, until Yoh couldn't stand anymore, and turned his torso. "...Ren?"

"..." The golden eyes that had looked so far away closed. "The gate to the garden will be unlocked tonight. The moon will be full, and the fish will be active in the pond. Make sure you light the lanterns."

"...eh?"

Ren opened his eyes and granted his friend a very small, very rare smile that faded as he turned to walk in the door, away from the slight chill that would follow the setting of the sun. "Just do what comes naturally."

Watching the retreating figure, Yoh bit at his lip.

...naturally?

0000

"What do you want, Yoh?"

"..."

"Answer me, damnit."

"..."

"Fuck it, Yoh, I'm not in the mood for games like this and you KNOW it, so tell me what's on that empty brain of yours."

"I forgot you can be hurtful when you're mad, aniki."

"The truth hurts. Now tell me why you're dragging me around like this."

Yoh's hand tightened on Hao's wrist and he marched on, ignoring the elder's cries for an answer and explanation. "Yoh. STOP it or I swear to god you aren't getting **ANY** when we get home!"

"That's fine by me." Was Yoh's dull remark, effectively making Hao's face red with rage. He hated when his ploys didn't work on the younger twin. The fact that he seemed to take just about ANYthing in stride made his blood boil when he was in such a temper. He wasn't in the best temper, either. Yoh barging into his room after a large dinner (another thing that irked him, they weren't to share a room in other lands), grabbing his arm before he could rid himself of the clothing he was despising and spiriting him off to somewhere unknown.

"Yoh, the fuck."

"Quiet, Hao. You'll wake everyone up."

"I'LL WAKE UP WHOEVER I WANT TO."

"Hao."

Before he could suck in a breath to begin an argument or a serenade that would shake the tiles from the slanted roof, Hao found himself swung forward and almost launched out of the castle. His boots crunched on pebbles and sand as he stumbled, hair falling from it's careful ponytail to drop over his shoulder. His face flushed slightly, and he turned to glare at his twin, who was walking out into the night air behind him, calm as could be.

"Yoh-"

"Shush. Aniki. Look." Yoh pointed forward with a blank face. Almost scoffing at the expression his twin was giving him, Hao turned his head forward. ...his jaw fell slack as he saw the garden, and saw the huge expanse of stars sparkling in a bowled sky above him.

The garden itself was white and blue. White sand kissed by the large orb of light in the center of that navy sky, the light from its face highlighting each leaf, each plant and vine that inhabited the garden itself, which, while lovely, was so uniform in appearance under the sun, resembled a spirit's paradise under the watchful eye of the moon. Such a soft blue when it had once been green... the pond in the middle held the sky orb so gently in its arms, and fish, scales glittering with light and water, bobbed their mouths into the air, catching tiny flies that danced on the surface. Fireflies were sparking in the air, landing on and brushing past deep blue lanterns that glowed like the starlight above them, flickering gently on teasing breezes.

"Ren let me in here so I could show aniki."

Hao jumped slightly, feeling a cold hand intertwine in his warm one, feeling a head rest on his shoulder. The soft whisper tickled his ear, sent a pleasant shiver running to his spine. His fingers, on reflex, intertwined back, and he rested his head against the other, still staring, eyes wide, catching everything. He could hear Yoh's smile playing in his words. "You were in such a bad mood... thinking you don't look nice, aniki...

The garden looks pretty in the day, and looks pretty at night." Yoh chuckled quietly, and turned his head to kiss at the elder's neck, feeling him shudder once with a quiet sound under his breath. It wasn't disagreeing. It sounded entranced.

"Hao, you're no different."

"..." The hand tightened, and Yoh found himself without a shoulder to lean on. The hand holding to his kept him from falling, and soon a chest was against his, as well as a pair of lips on his own. Yoh smiled against them, tilting his head and pressing close to the Prince(ss).

"'m glad you're feeling better, aniki.."

000

Sorry for a delay, college is a hard thing. In any case, it's not the best thing in the world, but the best I had under a spurt of creativity. I hope it's alright.  
Also, if there's any sort of prompt you'd like to see written, let me know! It's hard to come up with scenarios sometimes.;


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